This handy tip helps you get books on your Kindle gratis/free of charge.  These aren’t public domain books that are 200 years old either.  You can get New York Times best selling books downloaded to your Kindle through your local library.

The Kindle (or eBook) service in which library patrons ‘check out’ books from the library for a limited time, has spread to nearly 12,000 libraries across the United States.   When you check out a book from a library that supports Kindle book downloads you have some of the same limitation that you would see with traditional libraries (e.g. you may have to wait for more popular titles).   Just like a standard library you can’t checkout all their books indefinitely.  But the convenience of instant digital downloads is something new and very exciting for avid book readers.

If you don’t own a Kindle don’t worry, there are a number of free Kindle reader programs you can get online.  In fact, this program even supports the EPUB format for smartphone and ipad readers.

The digital book provider used by Amazon is Overdrive.com.

Searching for an downloading books is fast and easy using their site.  Once you find a title you want Overdrive.com will guide you to local libraries that would provide a download.  You may need to get a library card to use the service but its worth it.

Photography & Photoshop Alternatives

Sumo Paint

Photoshop Alternative

This is a fully operational photo editor, graphic design, and painting tool. The application works right in your browser without the need to create an account. Most of the features are beyond my skill level. Some of the images people have created are amazing. It doesn’t matter if you use Windows, Macintosh or Linux operating systems. All you need is Flash installed in your browser and you’re off to the races! It allows you to save in .jpg and .png formats. They also have a downloadable version which is $19. The Pro version comes with a lot of nice bells and whistles (which are probably over my head as well).

Note: Other great photo editors Pheonix by Aviary, SplashUp, PixelMator, rSizr,

One-Touch Photo Fixing

This application is like magic. Upload an image, click fix, and presto chango! Your picture looks much better. My wife looked at the example below and asked “Why did they take away her freckles? I like freckles.” If you have people in pictures with freckles this thing may clear them away.

Want an alternative to PicTreat? Try Picnik, FotoFlexer

Communication

Online Phone Service

If you are familiar with Skype you’ll love JAJAH. This IP service is free (in the USA) between account users. No need to install any software. There is no need to be stuck to a computer either. JAJAH connects two existing phones at the local level instead of charging long distance fees.

Online Faxing

The free service lets you fax 3 pages with an ad on the coversheet (which they create for you). Upload PDFs, Doc, or Docx files and press send! It’s that easy.

ScreenToaster – Online Screen Capture Software

After loading a Java Applet ScreenToaster works right in your browser. It is completely free and you can start recording without an account. Once the video is done you can upload your screen capture to ScreenToaster or YouTube. You can also save a hard copy of your video to the .mov or .swf file formats. Editing is no problem either. Now you can easily make a screen capture without downloading anything to your computer. Compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, Linux. Creating an accounts let’s you save videos to screentoaster directly. It also gives you access to their active community.

Note: For a downloadable app, Jing is awesome

TinyChat – Instant Video Chatting

If you like things that ‘just work’ you’ll like this application. Nothing to download. No complicated set-up process. Create your chat room and your mic and webcam take over. You’re live video, audio, and text feed are displayed for other members to see (you can turn your video and audio feed on and off). Blocking other users is also an option. Sign in with a TinyChat, Twitter, or Facebook account. The streaming quality is decent. When you create a new chat room it generates an small URL you can email to friends and relatives. As new people enter the room their video shows up just above the chat window. The video area will resize and adapt to the number of users with their webcam on. If you’d like to keep up long distant ties with friends and family this tool would be invaluable.

Note: For easy voice chatting try Voxli.

Combine Chat Accounts

Combine all of your chat accounts under one roof. Users can keep in touch with friends across dozens of IM platforms, including AIM, Yahoo!, MSN, Google Talk, MySpace IM, Facebook Chat, and more. Visit Meebo

Charts, Diagrams, & Flowcharts

Drag and drop simplicity and power. Create nice looking charts and flow charts to communicate the structures and processes you have in mind. LovelyCharts requires an account creation to start using their software. They require a name and email address. As a free member you get to save one project at a time. It is possible to export as many .jpg and .png charts as you’d like. The graphics that come pre-loaded with this app are professionally designed and charts come out looking high class. This is defiantly one to have in your arsenal.

Note: DrawAnywhere is a nice free tool too. Creately has a nice free edition with no limit on diagrams just space. Need an online whiteboard? Try Twiddla.

Browser Operating Systems

Browser Based Desktop

Ever forget an important file on your home computer? Have you ever wanted to show someone something but they didn’t have the software needed to show your file? This solves those problems and more. Upload files, edit, and login from any computer with an internet connection. The application comes with a host of common programs like spreadsheets, writing software, and more. The advantage of using a portable OS is that the software is the real software (not a watered down version). It may not make sense for the bulk of daily work but if you are traveling this could be a life saver. Visit StartForce

Note: There is also an opensource browser OS called eyeOS that is both lite and powerful. Google is also releasing ChromeOS in the middle of 2010. This is the next big step for personal computing.

Audio & Multimedia

Multi-track Audio Editing

In the past professional audio editing software has been expensive. With the advent of Garage Band from Apple and other open source alternatives these types of programs have gotten very reasonable. My first recordings were done on a cheaply made four track cassette recorder. Those days are gone and now you can mix a track in your browser. Chop, Loop, Stretch and Reverse a number of tracks. Perform fade-ins, apply none destructive effects, and throw some automation on those faders for the perfect mix. This software seriously rocks!

Edit Video Clips Online

Jaycut lets you upload and edit video files online for free. The interface is simple to use and understand. Go give it a try.

Office Suites – Word, Excel, PowerPoint Alternatives

Writer, Sheet, Presentation, & More…

While writing this post I could have just included this one link to Zoho and called it a day. They do everything a freelancer, student, or average user might need. They have a wide range of software solutions from writer, sheet, presentation, wikis, chat, CRM, invoicing and more. They could be your one stop stop for most productivity solutions. Everything they do is online and browser based.

Note: Google Docs is also very good. ThinkFreeOnline lets you open, view, or convert any office document without downloading any software. Writeboard let’s you collaborate on a single document for free.

Upload & Share PowerPoint Slides

This is a nice way to share your PowerPoint presentations online. In addition to being able to privately share your presentation you can also make it public. Embedding the slide show is the slickest way to publish online. You can record audio on top of each slide show to make a nice presentation/webinar. You will need an account to use the software.

Note: Prezi is a fun web app that changes the way slideshows are displayed.

Files & Data Stuff

File Conversion

Convert document, image, video, music, and compressed formats. Heck, they even convert between Auto CAD formats. Just about every file format of each type is supported. If you’ve ever been stuck with an odd file that you can’t open or read, this will save you. Using the software doesn’t require you to open an account. Although, opening an account lets you convert big files and store them for later.

One more thing, Zamzar can download and make a downloadable video file from YouTube. Good videos die young on YouTube.

Drag & Drop File Backup

DropBoks is a little website that allows you to securely store your files online. No bells and whistles, just simplicity. 1 GB in total with a limit of 10mb per file size. Use this for school papers and assignments, songs, pictures. This is like an online jump drive.

Need to send files up to 2GB? Try YouSendIt. If you’re into a downloadable app dropbox is cool. For a password protected place to store up to 25GB try SkyDrive from MSN; you will need a hotmail/msn account. Here’s a place that allows you to transfer 5GB with a link FileDropper

Edit & Combine PDF Files Online

Combine, edit, and make PDFs secure. Simply upload your PDF file(s) and PDF Hammer will let you go to work. No need to download or install anything. It works in your browser. Updating the PDFs meta data is also included. Start a new project

Personal Finance

Personal Finance Software

Track your spending across multiple accounts. Create a budget, view historical trends, and more. Mint is dead simple and free. Don’t spend money on personal finance software, mint.com does it for free.

Want another option, try JustThrive.com Their software will help you reach your saving goals. Also try, Wasabe

Just for Fun

Create & Share Floorplans

Floorplanner is the easiest, quickest, and best looking way to create and share interactive floor plans. Using point-and-click, drag-and-drop tools, you can make your house plan in minutes, and rearrange it as often as you want. Then you can save, send, and print your designs to share them, or place them on your own website.

Fast Online Dictionary

This is the fastest best online dictionary. Works just like it should without all the popups and ads on other dictionary sites.

Make & Share Custom Fonts

Create, share, and download completely custom fonts. You build your font design with their flash work area. Choose from a number of geometric patterns, shapes, and designs. Don’t want to spend the time making a font from scratch? Browse through the library of hundreds of fonts you probably have never seen before.

Make Small Images Big

Convert images like JPEGs, GIFs and PNGs to the crisp, clean, scalable vector art of EPS, SVG, and PDF. World class tracing software. Automatically traces over blocky bitmap lines and converts them to smooth vector lines/shapes. Free to try, no account required.

Create Scrapbook Pages

Scrapblog’s drag-and-drop tool is so easy that everyone can use it. They have a lot of cool ‘one click’ things that are really fun. You can create and download pages.

Paint your Home without Paint

Want more free stuff? Visit our lists of downloadable free essential software.